In-form Anirban Lahiri confirms he'll defend Macau Open title
Indian player keen to return to a course he knows well
Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Anirban Lahiri will be back to defend his Venetian Macao Open title in October, after last year’s win sparked a remarkable surge in his game.
Fresh from the British Open, where he finished six under par in a tie for 30th after four solid rounds, the Indian said he was looking forward to returning to Macau Country Club.
“ I have the fondest memories of my professional career when I first came to Macau, I played well and got a good run and really enjoyed playing on the golf course,” said the Indian, who won his first two European Tour titles in the space of two weeks at the Maybank Malaysian Open and the Hero Indian Open in February.
“[The [Macau] win] was a transformation [in his career]. Every step of the journey is important and the victory was very crucial for me. I had a really good feeling about the event and the world ranking points in Macau was quite high, it allowed me to get into the Masters and play the big events. It was perfect timing.”
Having made the cut in three of the six majors he’s played in, Lahiri’s next goal is to get in contention.
“A lot boils down to experience,” he said of his trip to St Andrews. “I’ve been playing for a while and this is my sixth major. The conditions were not easy. More mistakes were made in strategies rather than execution.
“Therefore I don’t think that my game is falling short in any one department. To win a major event you need to get all the conditions perfect at the same time.
“For me, it’s one of my career goals to win a major. That’s the one thing you want to do, it’s the pinnacle of achievements in golf, like the Wimbledon in tennis. It defines your career and I would love to do that.”
Next up for the 28-year-old is the European Masters, followed by the WGC and the fourth manjor, the US PGA Championship, in the United States. After Macau, he will compete in the UBS Hong Kong Open.
“I’m playing a lot of golf coming into Macau, so my game will be quite sharp,” he said of his chances of defending his title.
The 17th edition of the open takes place from October 15-18. With prize money increased by US$100,000 to US$1 million, it is one of the most lucrative events on the Asian Tour.
